A woman I met at State Fayre told me she had seen Kings of Leon 13 times. I was out of my depth. At 22, my festival experience was limited to Reading and a drum and bass event in Bristol—neither dignified. But State Fayre, a new rock, country, folk, and Americana-inspired festival in Chelmsford, Essex, changed everything.
Lineup and atmosphere
Kings of Leon headlined Friday, Alanis Morissette on Saturday, and The Lumineers on Sunday. Other acts included Black Crowes, Skunk Anansie, Razorlight, Counting Crows, KT Tunstall, and rising country star Stephen Wilson Jr. The festival was held on the former V Festival grounds, with cowboy hats, BBQ smells, and a giant ferris wheel creating a relaxed vibe.
Despite a millennial-heavy lineup, up-and-coming artists like Brenn! (427k TikTok followers) and Kingfishr performed. Stephen Wilson Jr., fresh from CMA Fest in Nashville, walked through the crowd playing his hit Gary.
Day 1: Kings of Leon
Kings of Leon opened with Find Me and played classics like The Bucket. My dad described it as 'like putting on an old, comfy jumper.' Songs like Waste a Moment and Wait For Me brought back memories of radio mornings and school drives. The crowd was respectful, with plenty of space to dance. Caleb Followill's vocals on Sex On Fire exceeded the studio recording, and the energy made me wonder why the song ends nights out instead of starting them.
Day 2: Razorlight, Skunk Anansie, and Alanis Morissette
I missed the 8:00 vinyasa yoga but caught Razorlight's America live—a bucket list experience. Skunk Anansie's frontwoman Skin said, 'It's not about right and left, it's about right and wrong,' hooking me instantly. Alanis Morissette's set opened with a montage of her career, including seven Grammy wins and her quote: 'My sense is, if we're going to air on the side of matriarchy or patriarchy, air on the side of matriarchy.'
She performed One Hand In My Pocket with a backdrop reading 'wholeness over wellness.' Hands Clean featured a gem-embellished guitar. During Head Over Feet, the camera zoomed into a crying fan. You Learn felt like a religious experience, and You Oughta Know brought rage back. Ironic—my favourite since playing my 2000s Pop Queens CD—was a full-circle moment, though Alanis changed the lyric from 'beautiful wife' to 'beautiful husband.'
According to the festival's organisers, State Fayre aims to offer a more relaxed, family-friendly alternative to traditional festivals. The heatwave temperature reached 37 degrees Celsius on Friday. The event attracted a diverse crowd, many of whom were older than typical festivalgoers, creating a courteous atmosphere.
